“What’s the Evidence: Do After School Programs Make a Difference for Kids?”

October 13, 2017

On September 28th, UCLA CRESST and LA’s BEST hosted a forum, “What’s the Evidence: Do After School Programs Make a Difference for Kids?” at UCLA. Our panelists explored the successes and challenges facing after school education and enrichment, and what we can do to continuously improve results in a changing funding world. Julia Phelan, CRESST Senior Research Scientist, moderated:

LA’s BEST has partnered with UCLA CRESST to secure independent evaluation of the effectiveness of its after-school enrichment programs. The results have consistently shown positive outcomes including helping to reduce the number of dropouts and participation in juvenile crime, while boosting academic gains.

In the course of the conversation, the speakers lamented the loss of music, art, and physical education during the course of the school day and the increased importance of access to those opportunities in after-school settings.